A church leader from Rusape has been jailed for three years after he was convicted of sleeping with a 13-year-old girl.
The 27-year-old appeared before a Rusape Magistrates’ Court charged with having sexual intercourse with a minor.
It was proved that the offender, who is a church leader lured the child into his private room after New Year’s Eve prayers.
He locked the door and sexually assaulted the victim.
The victim later disclosed the abuse, and a police report was filed.
During trial, the court examined the admissibility of the complaint of rapewhich requires that such complaints be made voluntarily and without coercion.
In this case, the victim’s disclosure was prompted by leading and intimidating questioning, including pressure from her mother, and she initially did not name the offender.
Due to these circumstances, the Court ruled that the evidence did not meet the threshold for a rape conviction.
However, the offender did not deny having sexual intercourse with the victim, claiming instead that it was consensual.
